Broadcast Wars

by Michael Bodey

As showbiz and media writer for both The Daily Telegraph and The Australian during this period, Michael Bodey watched it all unfold. From sneaking into the VIP section at Kerry Packer s memorial service to interviewing the personalities, such as Anna Coren, Eddie McGuire and Naomi Robson as they shone brightly and flamed out, and their chiefs, including Sam Chisholm, David Gyngell and David Leckie, Bodey was in the thick of it while also analysing the ratings and programming trends.

Using interviews with the participants, thorough research and arch interpretation, Broadcast Wars analyses the personalities and machinations behind Australia s best-loved television: Dancing With The Stars, Underbelly, Packed To The Rafters et al. Providing readers with juicy insights into the major media events of the period, such as the Beaconsfield mine disaster, Eddie McGuire s rise and fall and Seven s ascent as the dominant network, it will also reveal the major changes in Australian television, told by the personalities who led or drove the changes.

There is plenty to cover, from a turkey slap to a boning ; from The Block to MasterChef and Big Brother to Packed to the Rafters. It is a period in which David Gyngell ran the Nine network twice and David Leckie ran two networks with spite. There are many secrets to reveal and a few scores to settle.